The khawd, the bat and the ugly: The 2025 NRL awards that really matter

There were those who wanted out, those who were pushed out and those who were frozen out. The rugby league news cycle was in overdrive in season 2025.

Some were bullied, others were bashed. Some drank from toilets, others drank from the fountain of youth.

We pay tribute to the magic, madness and mayhem in this year’s edition of the Herald’s end-of-season awards.

Best recruit

• Winner: Terrell May (Wests Tigers)

The verdict: Given Mark Nawaqanitawase played one NRL game in 2024, he’s been ruled ineligible for this category, opening the door for Terrell May to claim the title as the recruit of the year. He has been consistently one of the Wests Tigers’ best players, showing he has one of the best motors of any middle forward in the competition.

2024 winner: Stephen Crichton (Bulldogs)
2023 winner: Reece Walsh (Broncos)

• Honourable mentions: Erin Clark, Stefano Utoikamanu

Best value-for-money recruit

• Winner: Isaiah Iongi

The verdict: At around $300,000 in season 2025, Iongi has provided the Eels with great value for money. He joined the club from the Penrith Panthers under enormous pressure following the decision of rookie coach Jason Ryles to move on from fan favourite Clint Gutherson. He has repaid that faith and given Eels fans plenty of hope for a bright future.

2024 winner: Bronson Xerri (Bulldogs)
2023 winner: J’maine Hopgood (Eels)

• Honourable mentions: Savelio Tamale, Joash Papali, Jazz Tevaga, Matty Nicholson

Least value-for-money signing

• Winner: Lewis Dodd

The verdict: Was signed mid-way through last year to join the Bunnies in 2025 but was never given a look in. Wayne Bennett put a line through him in the pre-season and Dodd was hardly given a go despite a heavy injury toll at the club. He’s on a deal worth about $650,000 a season and has now been told he’s free to find a new home.

2024 winner: Jayden Sullivan (Wests Tigers)
2023 winner: Viliame Kikau (Bulldogs)

Honourable mention: Lachlan Ilias

Most improved player

• Winner: Kaeo Weekes (Raiders)

The verdict: Weekes enjoyed a breakout year in the nation’s capital, earning himself a lucrative contract extension that will see him earn about $900,000 a season in the latter years of his new deal.

2024 winner: Zac Lomax (Dragons)
2023 winner: Wayde Egan (Warriors)

Honourable mentions: Naufahu Whyte, Blayke Brailey, Thomas Jenkins

Rookie of the year

• Winner: Leka Halasima (Warriors)

The verdict: The Warriors have unearthed a special talent. He’s fast, powerful, skilful and a future superstar of the game.

2024 winner: Lachlan Galvin (Wests Tigers)
2023 winner: Jahream Bula (Wests Tigers)

• Honourable mention: Robert Toia

Most underwhelming player

• Winner: Dylan Brown

The verdict: Started the year by signing a mammoth 10-year deal with the Knights. He struggled to deal with the spotlight and the pressure of having to direct the team in the absence of Mitchell Moses. Was dropped from the team in the second half of the season for several weeks, with coach Jason Ryles opting to invest in the team’s youth over a player leaving the club.

2024 winner: Reece Walsh (Broncos)
2023 winner: Josh Schuster (Sea Eagles)

Honourable mentions: David Fifita, Kalyn Ponga, Latrell Mitchell, Nicho Hynes

Biggest underachieving team

• Winner: Manly Sea Eagles

The verdict: The Sea Eagles just never looked like getting it right. The season was derailed by injuries to key players and the circus surrounding Daly Cherry-Evans exit from the club he debuted with back in 2011. Anthony Seibold heads into 2026 under pressure to get things right.

2024 winner: Brisbane Broncos
2023 winner: South Sydney Rabbitohs

• Honourable mentions: North Queensland Cowboys, Gold Coast Titans

Biggest overachieving team

• Winner: Canberra Raiders

The verdict: The Raiders have been the feel-good story of the year. Few gave them a hope of getting near finals football, let alone winning the minor premiership. It’s a team full of excitement and young players who can be the face of success in the nation’s capital for years to come.

2024 winner: Canterbury Bulldogs
2023 winner: New Zealand Warriors

Second-year syndrome award

• Winner: Lachlan Galvin (Tigers/Bulldogs)

The verdict: Won the Herald’s award for rookie of the year in 2025, but hasn’t lived up to the hype this year. He’s been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons and hasn’t been able to put his enormous talent to good use. A holiday and a big off-season will do him wonders.

2024 winner: Andrew Webster (Warriors)
2023 winner: Lachlan Ilias (Rabbitohs)

Coach of the year

• Winner: Ricky Stuart (Raiders)

The verdict: What a coaching masterclass it has been from Ricky Stuart this year. Had no right to guide this young team to the top of the ladder. The Raiders have shown the value in sticking true to a coach and his plan.

2024 winner: Cameron Ciraldo (Bulldogs)
2023 winner: Andrew Webster (Warriors)

• Honourable mentions: Michael Maguire, Craig Bellamy, Ivan Cleary, Andrew Webster

Team of the year

2024 team: 1. James Tedesco (Roosters), 2. Zac Lomax (Dragons), 3. Herbie Farnworth (Dolphins), 4. Stephen Crichton (Bulldogs), 5. Jacob Kiraz (Bulldogs), 6. Jarome Luai (Panthers), 7. Jahrome Hughes (Storm), 8. Mitch Barnett (Warriors), 9. Reed Mahoney (Bulldogs), 10. Joe Tapine (Raiders), 11. Angus Crichton (Roosters), 12. Eliesa Katoa (Storm), 13. Isaah Yeo (Panthers), 14. Connor Watson (Roosters), 15. Spencer Leniu (Roosters), 16. Briton Nikora (Sharks), 17. Tyran Wishart (Storm). Coach: Cameron Ciraldo (Bulldogs)

2023 team: 1. Reece Walsh, 2. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, 3. Bradman Best, 4. Stephen Crichton, 5. Jamayne Isaako, 6. Ezra Mam, 7. Shaun Johnson, 8. Payne Haas, 9. Wayde Egan, 10. Addin Fonua-Blake, 11. David Fifita, 12. Jacob Preston, 13. Patrick Carrigan. Coach: Andrew Webster.

The Steve Menzies award: Veteran player of the year

• Winner: James Tedesco (Roosters)

The verdict: Tedesco lost his NSW and Australian jersey last year with many of the opinion his best days were well and truly behind him. Proved the doubters wrong this year by producing one of his finest seasons in a decorated career. Should win the Dally M medal in a few weeks’ time.

2024 winner: Daly Cherry-Evans (Sea Eagles)
2023 winner: Shaun Johnson (Warriors)

The Ray Warren award: ‘That’s not a try, that’s a miracle’ moment of the year

• Winner: Kaeo Weekes (Raiders)

The verdict: Who will ever forget the incredible scenes in Mudgee a few weeks ago when a Nathan Cleary field goal in golden point ricocheted off the posts, only for Ethan Strange to collect the ball and set up Kaeo Weekes to score the try of the season to win the game at the other end of the field.

2024 winner: Xavier Coates (Storm v Warriors)
2023 winner: Alex Twal (Wests Tigers)

The Ivan Cleary award: ‘Off the bus’ moment of the year

• Winner: Daly Cherry-Evans

The verdict: Stunned the rugby league world when he went on Nine’s 100% Footy at the start of the season to declare season 2025 would be his last at the Manly Sea Eagles, sparking speculation of a last ride at the Sydney Roosters next year.

2024 winner: Josh Schuster (Sea Eagles)
2023 winner: Sam Burgess (Rabbitohs)

The Geoff Toovey award: ‘There needs to be an investigation’ moment of the year

• Winner: Newcastle Knights signing Dylan Brown to a 10-year, $13 million deal.

The verdict: Some of the greats of the game were highly critical of the Newcastle Knights’ decision to pay Dylan Brown $13 million over 10 years to lure him out of Parramatta. No one could begrudge Brown, but eyebrows were certainly raised over the Knights’ recruitment decision.

2024 winner: Jackson Topine taking legal action against the Bulldogs.
2023 winner: Ryan Matterson taking a three-game suspension instead of a fine.

The Daly Cherry-Evans award: Biggest backflip of the year

• Winner: Gold Coast Titans

The verdict: The Titans take out this award, for backflipping on their decision to get David Fifita to backflip on his decision to join the Roosters just 12 months earlier.

2024 winner: David Fifita and Sydney Roosters
2023 winner: Wests Tigers and Tim Sheens

The Cooper Cronk award: ‘The every sinew in my body coming together in one perfect whole’ moment of the year

• Winner: Mark Nawaqanitawase

The verdict: The athleticism, skill and footy smarts were all on display in this incredible solo try from cross-code star Mark Nawaqanitawase against the Bulldogs. How did he do that?

2024 winner: Mitchell Moses’ man-of-the-match performance for NSW in game two of the Origin series at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
2023 winner: Nathan Cleary’s 40-metre field goal against Parramatta to take the match to golden point.

The Allan Langer award: Best comeback story of the year

• Winner: Gehmat Shibasaki

The verdict: Returned from the rugby league wilderness to find a home at the Broncos, before capping off a memorable year with a call-up to the Queensland Origin team.

2024 winner: Angus Crichton

The Michael Jennings award: Best NRL player to feature in reserve grade

• Winner: Selwyn Cobbo

The verdict: Selwyn Cobbo just pipped Lachlan Galvin for the honour.

2024 winner: Connor Watson
2023 winner: Greg Marzhew

The Jamie Goddard award: Best involvement in a melee

• Winner: Hudson Young and Morgan Smithies (Raiders)

The verdict: The pair got into a fight inside an elevator at their Las Vegas team hotel over a room. The best friends had to do the walk of shame the following morning, fronting the press to explain how an inflatable baseball bat was at the heart of a rugby league drama on the eve of the season.

• Honourable mentions: Jai Arrow v Bulldogs fans

2024 winner: Haumole Olakau’atu’s NSW Origin bench melee while wearing a suit.

The Gyngell-Packer award: Best feud of the year

• Winner: Spencer Leniu v Johnathan Thurston

The verdict: Roosters prop Spencer Leniu accused Queensland Maroons great and Nine commentator Johnathan Thurston of being “two-faced” and “fake” following their on-field run-in at Suncorp Stadium. It relates to Thurston’s criticism of the NRL’s punishment handed down to Leniu after he called Ezra Mam a “monkey” in Las Vegas the previous year.

• Honourable mentions: Sydney Roosters v Brandon Smith

2024 winners: Latrell Mitchell v Braith Anasta

The Phil Gould award: ‘No, no, no, no, no’ moment of the year

• Winner: Corey Bocking (Panthers)

The verdict: Panthers trainer Corey Bocking was banned for five games, and his club fined $50,000, after he ran through the line of a Jayden Campbell conversion attempt.

2024 winner: Fox Sports 1 in America for missing the first 17 minutes of the Manly-Rabbitohs game, with Fox Sports 1 deciding to stick with the college basketball game between Georgetown Hoyas and Xavier Musketeers that had gone into overtime.
2023 winner: Tom Trbojevic and Damien Cook (Origin)

The Oshay Olay award: The ‘regret what you said’ moment of the year

• Winner: Adam O’Brien

The verdict: The Knights coach was forced to apologise after criticising his own fans in a press conference. “I know the scoreline is not what they want, but to boo the effort that went into that first half from a really young team, the people that booed don’t know anything about rugby league,” O’Brien said. “And they are probably the ones that cheered at the end too.” It didn’t go down well with the locals.

2024 winner: Kevin Walters: “There is no ‘if’ here, we’re going to make the finals”. A week later their season ended in a horrible outing against the Dolphins.
2023 winner: Lee Hagipantelis for assurances over Tim Sheens’ future as Tigers coach.

The Anthony Mundine award: Most controversial quote of the year

• Winner: Phil Gould

The verdict: “I’ve never met Lachlan Galvin”. Those words from Phil Gould on 100% Footy had the rugby league world up in arms. This columnist got himself caught in the crossfire.

2023 winner: Phil Gould for his attack on Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii leaving rugby league.

The Gorden Tallis award: Player who most wanted out of their club

• Winner: Lachlan Galvin

The verdict: Galvin declined to even hear the details of a lucrative $6 million deal for five years that the Wests Tigers wanted to pitch to him to try to keep him at the club. It enraged Wests Tigers boss Shane Richardson, who issued a statement that was the catalyst for a messy break-up that led to claims of bullying and Galvin dumped to reserve grade. He left the club a couple of months later to join the Bulldogs.

2024 winner: Zac Lomax
2023 winner: Ben Hunt

The Isaac Moses award: Most controversial contract clause of the year

• Winner: Jarome Luai

The verdict: Wests Tigers CEO Shane Richardson announced Jarome Luai had signed a five-year deal with the club, only for this masthead to reveal that only two years of that deal was guaranteed. It was a slap in the face for Richardson, who was highly critical of the previous administration’s negotiating skills when it came to clauses in player contracts. Luai has an option in his favour to stay at the club, which he has to take up by the end of April next year.

2024 winner: Stefano Utoikamanu

The Ricky Stuart award: The ‘weak-gutted dog’ moment of the year.

• Winner: Queensland State of Origin team

The verdict: Spencer Leniu was irate when the Queenslanders opted to kick the ball to the opposite side of the field in game one when he was ready to launch into them from a restart.

The Arizona award: Worst cover-up attempt of the year

• Winner: Manly chief executive Tony Mestrov

The verdict: After Nine broke the story of Cherry-Evans’ decision to depart Manly, Sea Eagles CEO Tony Mestrov contacted Fox Sports bosses. It led to a two-year deal being made to Cherry-Evans live on NRL 360. Cherry-Evans saw it as a publicity stunt, shooting down the offer on 100% Footy a couple of hours later.

2024 winner: Wests Tigers for insisting there was no animosity towards John Bateman.
2023 winner: Reece Walsh and the Broncos for the reason given for Walsh’s abuse of the referee.

The Todd Carney award: The WTF moment of the year

• Winner: Reece Walsh

The verdict: It’s not quite in the bubbler territory, but Reece Walsh’s unusual hydration technique certainly did get people talking. C’mon people! He installed the toilet himself!

The Will Chambers award: Biggest sledge of the year

• Winner: Aaron Woods

The verdict: Aaron Woods responded to Queensland’s axing of Daly Cherry-Evans after game one by taking aim at their coach. “I want to see the real Billy Slater come out – the grub that we know of.” The sledge triggered an emotional response from Slater, who brought the death of Paul Green into the discussion when explaining the impact people could have on others. Slater issued an apology to the Green family the following morning – the day of the game.

The Michael Ennis award: Best crowd taunt of the year

• Winner: Samuela Fainu and the Wests Tigers

The verdict: The most iconic moment of season 2025. Wests Tigers fans giving the “khawd” – the Middle Eastern equivalent of the middle finger – to the heavily flavoured Arabic contingency of Bulldogs fans at CommBank Stadium. The Tigers won the game and the Lachlan Galvin Cup, but did walk away with a couple of breach notices. Play on!

The Russell Crowe award: Movie scene moment of the year

• Winner: Spencer Leniu and Ezra Mam

The verdict: A moment captured in the middle of Optus Stadium. The 16-month feud between Ezra Mam and Spencer Leniu came to an end after the pair shared a heartfelt embrace in the middle of the field after Origin II. The pair exchanged words – and a hug - more than a year after the racial slur that tarnished the NRL’s landmark season-opener in Las Vegas.

2024 winner: Taylan May for walking 300 metres into the Panthers boardroom to stare down club powerbrokers with an entourage of lawyers.

The Walking Dead award: Person who was gone before they began

• Winner: Jackson Hastings (Knights)

The verdict: He fell out of favour with key players at the Knights and as a result struggled to find his way back into the NRL team. The Knights hoped by freezing him out that Hastings – on a contract worth $775,000 – would attempt to leave and save them space in the salary cap. Instead, Hastings dug his heels in and stayed, despite his fate already being sealed.

• 2024 winner: David Nofoaluma
• 2023 winner: Anthony Griffin

The Kevin Proctor award: Most controversial social media post of the year

• Winner: Sunia Turuva

The verdict: Jarome Luai had one hand on the award for a few hours, only to be usurped by his teammate Sunia Turuva. The “team first” post from Luai was a pretty decent crack at the defecting Lachlan Galvin, but Turuva took it a step too far when he posted a photo of Galvin’s locker at the club’s Concord headquarters with the Shane McMahon WWE theme song Money Talks. It gave the Galvin camp ammunition to launch a bullying claim against the club.

The Manly Pride award: Biggest jersey scandal of the year

• Winner: St George Illawarra

The verdict: It’s not quite up there with the Wests Tigers using American soldiers on the front of their ANZAC jersey last year, or the ‘Dargons’ spelling the club’s own name wrong on Jack Bird’s commemorative 150th game jersey. However, the Dragons’ failure to spell “Saturday” correct on Indie Bostock’s NRLW debut jersey takes out this year’s gong.

2024 winner: St George Illawarra ‘Dargons’
2023 winner: Wests Tigers Anzac Day jersey bungle

The James Graham award: Best gesture to help a club

• Winner: Tom Trbojevic (Sea Eagles)

The verdict: Trbojevic was initially selected as the NSW Blues’ 18th man for the opening game of the series. Trbojevic, however, declined the invitation – giving up a guaranteed $30,000 to potentially just sit on the bench – because it meant he couldn’t play for Manly that weekend.

2024 winner: Tom Trbojevic for volunteering to take a $750,000 pay cut to help the Sea Eagles salary cap.